Fire-sprinkler system and the like



Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,964

R. CLARK FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 26. 1923 4 Sheets-$heet l lnve Mar,

R. CLARK FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND THHLIKE 4 Sheets-She Inwntor W 7 I flflorne Filed Dec. 2.6, 1923 ZZZ/17.

Dec. 9, 1924.

1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 26,

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R. CLARK FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 26, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 r ing' automatic y an Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

STA

TES PATENT OFFICE.

nonnnr CLARK, or KEW GARDENS, sun-any, ENGLAND, assronon or ONE-HALE T0 GEORGE AUGUSTUS MOWER, or ennon, ENGLAND.

FIRE-SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND THE LIKE.

Application filed December 26, 1923. Serial No. 682,711.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, O R CLARK, of 17 Burlington Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey, England, a British subject, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Fire-SprinklerSystems and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydraulic pumping-systems, for use in connection with firesprinkler systems and the like, wherein it is required that a predetermined maximum working-pressure shall be automatically maintained;;and the invention has for its primary object to provide means for reducperiodically the pressure in the hydraulic system to such an extent as to bring about the starting of a pump, provided with automatic controlling? means, whereby the hydraulic pressure is again raised to a. predetermined maximum, so that said pressure may be maintained normally as near as possible to said predetermined maximum without risk of: creeping in the pump, whereof the automatic controllingemeans. are assumed to be adjusted so as to permit said pump to function only when the pressure-tall in the hydraulic system is greater than that resulting tromnormal leakage, it any; such periodic functioning of the pump serving to demonstrate that the pump and its automatic controllingmeans are in working order.

Another object of the invention is to pro? vide means for controlling automatically the speed of a steam-actuated pump serving to create pressure in the hydraulic system, irrespective of variations in the boiler pressure; and a further object is to provide said steam-actuated pump with automatic controlling-means including a governing device which shall bring about not only the starting of the pump upon the occurrence in the hydraulic system of a predetern' ined pressure-fall greater than that resulting from normal leakage (it any), but also the continued functioning of the pump so long as the pressure in the hydraulic system remains below the predetermined maximum.

According. to the present invention, the means for reducing automatically and periodically the pressure in the hydraulic system to such an extent as to bring about the starting of the pump, comprise a waste-valve adapted to be opened so as to permit the pressure in the hydraulic system to fall, and a hydraulic pressureor weight-accumulating device adapted to bring about the automatic n p ri ic opening nd closing f a d valve, the resultant fall of pressure in the hydraulic system having for ellect to restart the pump. Preferably, the waste-valve is connected with evacuating-means adapted to operate concurrently therewith so as to control the emptying and recharging of the hydraulic accumulating device, whilst means such as a drip-valve are provided for controlling the rate of accumulation of pressure or weight in said device, so as to determine the periodicity of the automatic pressure tall in the hydraulic system.

The means for controlling automatically the speed of a steam-actuated pump, serving to create pressure in the hydraulic system, irrespective of variations in the boiler pressure, comprise a balanced regulatingvalve interposed in the steam-supply pipe and weight-loaded and adjusted so as to permit the delivery of steam to the pump at the lowest pressure for which said pump is designed.

The means tor automatically so control: ling the steam-actuated pump itself as to bring about not only the starting of the pump upon the occurrence in the hydraulic system of a predetermined pressure-fall greater than that resulting from normal leakage, but also the continued functioning of the pump so long as the pressure in the hydraulic system remains below the predetermined maximum, comprise a governor-,

.valve interposed in the steam pipe leading from the above-mentioned regulating valve to the pump, and automatic controlling means such that said governor-valve will be opened to deliver steam to the pump only when the pressure in the hydraulic-system falls to the predetermined extent and will be held open until said pressure has been raised to the predetermined maximum. For this purpose the governor-valve is connected with a piston working in a double-acting hydraulic cylinder the distribution of pressurein which is controlled by a pilot-valve connected with a weight-influenced lever the movement of which is controlled by a diaphragm forming one wall of a chamber connected with the hydraulic system, so that the pressure for the time being prevailing in said system raises or lowers said lever as the casemay be, and thus overns the distributive'position of the pilotvalve. The governor-valve is also connected with, and adapted to raise and lower, an auxiliary weightdntluenced lever adapted to bear upon the first mentioned or main lever. The arrangement is such that movement of the main lever, as a result of normal leakage from the hydraulic system, is insuflicient to bring about the opening of the governor-valve, whilst the latter, when opened, cannot be closed until the pressure in the hydraulic system has been raised to the predetermined maximum, for the reason that whereas on the one hand, the main lever will descend in accordance with any slight decrease of pressure in the hydraulic system (such as would occur as a result ofnormal leakage) without altering the distributive position of the pilot-valve, and can descend to its full ex tent when the pressure in the hydraulic system falls to the predetermined minimum, as for instance as the result of the normal automatic functioning of the sprink- "ler-system or as the result of the functioning of the means above mention-ed for reducing automatically and periodically the pressure in the hydraulic system (whereupon the distributive position of the pilotvalve will be altered and the double-acting piston will be actuated to open the governor valve, whilst in addition the auxiliary lever will descend until it bears upon the main lever), on the other hand the pressure neces- "sary to cause the diaphragm to raise the main lever is increased by an amount corresponding with the increased load due to the auxiliary lever bearing upon the main lever, with the result that the latter cannot be raised to alter the distributive position of the pilot-valve and bring about the closure of the governor-valve until the pressure in the hydraulic system has been raised to the predetermined maximum.

In the acompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elementary (or partly diagrammatic) side elevation illustrating the general arrangement of one form of apparatus embodying the invention as a whole, the steam regulating-valve I being shown in section.

Figures 2 and 3 are detail views of portions of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1,

drawn to a larger scale; Figure 2 showing the waste-valve and evacuating valve, where- 'of the former is represented in axial section; whilst Figure 3 shows, also in axial section, the steam governor-valve with its automatic,controlling means.

A (Figure 1) represents a steam-pump whereof the steam cylinder 11 is fed with steam through a pipe 12 leading from a suitable steam generator (not shown), whilst the pumping cylinder 13 is adapted to deliver water under pressure through a pipe 1 1, constituting the main pipe of the hydraulic system, to the point or points whereat the water is to be discharged. It is to be understood that the pump A would be designed to function when supplied with steam at the lowest practicable boiler-pressure, such as would be maintained (for example) whenthe boiler-fires are banked.

For the purpose of reducing, automatically and periodically, the pressure in the hydraulic system to such an extent as to bring about the starting of the pump A for testing purposes, a valve B (shown in detail in Figure 2) is provided on a branch pipe 15 which leads, from a convenient point in the hydraulic main 1 1, to the waste-water outlet. The waste-valve B, which is shown as a balanced valve of known type modified to suit the requirements of the present invention, is adapted to close upwards and is normally held closed by means of a spring 16 coiled about the valve-stem 17 in compression between a fixed abutment 18and a flexible diaphragm 19 which is attached to the upper end of the valve-stem and forms thelower wall of a chamber 20 surmounting the valve-casing. The chamber 20 is in of the spring 16 against the diaphragm 19 being overcome, the diaphragm is downwardly distorted and the valve B is opened and so held until the head of water in the stand-pipe C has been reduced sulficiently to allow of the pressure of the spring 16 reasserting itself to close the valve B. The stand-pipe C is constantly fed with water from any convenient source, such as the hydraulic main 14 for example; the supplyentering the stand-pipe either at the top through an ordinary tap, or (as shown) at the bottom through a pipe 21 provided with an adjustable valve 22 which can be so set as to allow the gradual accumulation of the requiredhead of water in the stand-pipe to occupy thepredetermined interval of time between successive automatic tests of the apparatus; whilst the automatic evacuation of the stand-pipe concurrently with the periodic reduction of pressure in the hydraulic system is efiected by means of a valve D by means of a spring 24, has its stem 25 connected with the stem 17 of the valve B through the medium of a'lever 26 fulcrumed at 27 so that both valves B and D open or close concurrently as the case may be. If desired, the rate at which the emptying of the stand-pipe C proceeds may be regulated by means of an adjustable valve 28 interposed in the evacuating pipe 23.

For the purpose of controlling automatically the speed of the pump A. irrespective of variations in the boiler pressure, a balanced regnlatingwalve E (shown in section in Figure 1) is interposed in the steam-supply pipe 12. This: valve E is shown as of known type, adapted to close downwards and constantly tending to open under the influence of a loaded lever 29 fulcrumed at a fixed point 29 and engaging the valvestem 30 whereof the upper end is attached to a flexible diaphragm 31 which forms the lower wall of a chamber 32 surmounting the valve casing; this chamber 32 being in free communication, by way of a pipe 33 of small bore, with the steam-supply pipe 12 at the delivery side of the valve; whilst the lever 29 carries a weight 34 which is adjustable so as to cause the valve E to deliver steam to the pump A at the lowest pressure for which the pump is designed.

For the purpose of so controlling auto matically the supply of steam to the pump A as to bring about the starting of the pump only upon the occurrence in the hydraulic system of a predetermined pressurefall greater thanthat resulting from normal leakage, and to keep the pump, when once thus started, running until the predetermined maximum pressure has been restored in the hydraulic system, a balanced governor-valve F, provided with suitable controllingmeans and shown in detail in Figure 3, is interposed in the steam-supply pipe 12 between the regulating-valve E and the pump A. The governor-valve F, which is shown as of known type modified to suit the requirements of the present invention, is

adapted to close downwards, and is operated by means of a double-acting piston 35. fitted to work in a vertical hydraulic cylinder 36 which surmounts the valve-casing, the piston-rod 37 being connected with the valve-stem 38 by means of a bridle 39 comprising yokes attached to the piston-rod and valve-stem respectively and coupled together by a pair of upright side-rods. Tater under pressure from a suitable source (not shown) is admitted to the upper or lower end alternatively of the hydraulic cylinder 36 through corresponding ports 40 and 41 under the control of a pilot-valve G working in a chamber 42 interposed between said ports and a supply-pipe 43, the pilotvalve being adapted to connect with an exhaust-pipe 44 whichever end of the cylinder 36 is not open to the supply-pipe 43.

The stem 45, of the pilot-valve G, which is.

adapted to work vertically, is coupled to a loaded lever 46 by means of a bridle 47 comprising crossheads attached to the valvestem 45 and lever 46 respectively and coupled together by a pair of upright side-rods; the lever 46, which is fulcrumedat a fixed point 48 between the valve F and the hydraulic cylinder 36, constantly tending to depress the pilot-valve to the position wherein it admits water under pressure to the lower end of the cylinder 36 and exhausts it from the upper end thereof. Upon the lever 46, which is loaded by an adjustable weight 49, normally rests a supplementary weight 50 mounted on one end of an auxiliary lever 51, which is fulcrumed at a fixed point 52 and so engaged at its other end 53 by the bridle 47 that the loaded end of the auxiliary lever 51 will rise or fall according as the bridle 47 is lowered or raised to close or open the governor-valve F. The loaded ends of the main lever 46 and auxiliary lever 51 are adapted to be raised together as one by the pressure in the hydraulic system only when this pressure attains the predetermined maximum; for which purpose the lever 46 rests, at a knife-edge bearing 54, upon a thrust-plate 55 carried by a flexible diaphragm 56 forming the upper wall of a chamber 57 which is in free communica tion with the hydraulic main 14 by way of a pipe 58. On the hydraulic pressure in the chamber 57 reaching the predetermined maximum, the loaded ends of the levers 46 and 51 are both raised, with the result that the pilot-valve Gr is lifted to the position in which it admits water under pressure to the upper end of the cylinder 36 so as to bring about the closure of the governor-valve F.

The action of the apparatus is as follows; it being assumed that, at starting, no pressure exists either in the hydraulic main 14 or in the steam supply pipe 12, but that pressure exists in the water-supply pipe 43 leading to the pilot-valve G. At this time both the regulatingwalve E and the governor-valve F are open; the valve E being held open by the action of the weighted lever 29, whilst the valve F is held open owing to the main lever 46 resting in its lowest position (due to the absence of hydraulic pressure in the pipe 14 and chamber 57) so as to retain the pilot-valve G in position to admit water beneath the piston 35. Hence steam, on being admitted to the pipe 12 from the boiler, passes to the pump A through the valves E and F; the steam which reaches the pump being, however, antomatically maintained at the lowest pres sure for which the pump is designed, in consequence of the pressure at the delivery side of the valve E gaining access to the chamber 32 so. as to tend to close this valve, an arrangement which permits of the hydraulic system being kept charged, notwithstanding that the boiler fi-res may be banked, as for example during the night or similar periods of time. The pump having started, pressure is created in the hydraulic main 14,

sis

this pressure increasing until it reaches the predetermined maximum, whereupon the diaphragm 56, being upwardly distorted by the pressure in the chamber 57, raises the main lever 46 (upon which at this time rests the loaded end of the auxiliary lever 51) and thus moves the pilot-valve G upwards into position to admit water-pressure, above the piston 35, with the result that the g0vernor-valve F is closed and the pump A ceases to work.

The proportions of the apparatus are so arranged that such fall of pressure as may occur in the hydraulic main 14 and there fore also in the chamber 57, owing to normal leakage from the system, is not suflicient to allow of the main lever 46 descending so as, by the admission of water-pressure beneath the piston 35, ,to bring about the opening of the governor-valve F and the re-starting of the pump. Hence, once the hydraulic system has been charged to the predetermined maximum pressure as just described, the entire apparatus will remain at rest, unless the hydraulic pressure should happen to be reduced below a predetermined limit in consequence, for example, of the sprinkler or like system being brought into operation, or of the occurrence of the periodic testing operation. lhat is to say, the pressure in the hydraulic system must be reduced to a predetermined and appreciable amount below the predetermined maximum before the pump A will re-start automatically; an arrangement which preeludes any tendency of the pump to creep, with consequent waste of steam, on the oc' currence of such slight leakage from the hydraulic system as is usually inevitable in a large installation. As soon, however, as the pressure in the hydraulic system falls below the predetermined limit, ,the main lever 46 becomes free to descend so as to move the pilot-valve G to the position for opening the governor-valve F, with the result that the pump A starts working. The upward movement of the bridle 39, whereby the valve F has just been opened, permits the supplementary weight 50 to descend so as to rest upon the main lever 46, and hence this lever cannot again be raised to bring about the closure of the valve F and the stoppage of the pump until the predetermined maximum pressure, having been attained in the hydraulic system, gains access to the chamber 57; said maximum pressure being obviously dependent on the adjustment of the combined loads on the levers 46 and 51.

The periodic occurrence of the testing operation is dependent, on the one hand as regards time (say every four hours), upon the rate at which the accumulation of the head of water in the stand-pipe (J is allowed to proceed under the control of the 1,51s,eea.

feed valve 22, and, on the other hand, upon the adjustment of the weight 49 so as tov enable the main lever 46 to overcome the I so reduced, in consequence of the evacua tion of the stand-pipe C, as to permit the spring 16 to open the waste-valve B and allow the pressure to fall below the predetermined limit in the hydraulic main 14 and chamber 57. i

It will thus be seen that the combination of the means above set forth ensures the maintenance of the pressure in the hydraulic system as near as possible to the predetermined maximum, the proving of the pumping-system to be in working order, the working of the pump irrespective of variations in boiler pressure and only when a predetermined fall of pressure takes place in the hydraulic system, and the cessation of pumping when the predetermined maximum pressure in the hydraulic system has been attained.

1. In a hydraulic pumping-system of the kind referred to, for use in connection with an automatic fire-sprinkler system or the like, means for reducing automatically and periodically the pressure in the hydraulic system to such an extent as to bring about the starting of the pump, comprising a waste-valve adapted to be opened so as to permit the pressure in the hydraulic system to fall, and a hydraulic pressureor weightaccumulating device adapted to bring about the automatic and periodic opening and closing of said valve.

2. In a hydraulic pumping-system as claimed in claim 1, the combination with the waste-valve of evacuating-means adapted to operate concurrently therewith so as to control the emptying and recharging of the hydraulic pressureor weight-accumulating device, and means such as a dripvalve adapted to control the rate of accumulation of pressure or weight in the hydraulic pressureor weight-accumulating device, so as to determine the periodicity of the automatic pressure-fall in the hydraulic system.

8. In a hydraulic pumping-system of the kind referred to, for use in connection with an automatic fire-sprinkler system or the like, means for controlling automatically the speed of a steam-actuated pump serving to create pressure in the hydraulic system irrespective of variations in the boiler pressure, comprising abalanced steam regulating-valve interposed in the steam-supply pipe and having a sliding spindle for controlling the position of the valve, a closed chamber having a flexible wall to which said spindle is attached, a connection between said chamber and the steam supply pipe at the delivery side of the valve, and a loaded lever so engaging the valvespindle as to tend to open the valve in opposition to the steam-pressure within said chamber, substantially as described.

4:. In a hydraulic pumping system of the kind referred to, for use in connection with an automatic fire-sprinkler system or the like, wherein a steam-actuated pump is employed to create pressure in the hydraulic system, means for automatically so controlling the supply of steam tosaid pump as to bring about not only the starting of the pump upon the occurrence in the hydraulic system of a pressure-fall greater than that resulting from normal leakage but also the continued functioning of the pump so long as the pressure in the hydraulic system remains below a predetermined maximum, comprising a steam governor-valve interposed in the steam-supply pipe to the pump, and automatic controlling-means such that said valve will be opened to deliver steam to the pump only when the pressure in the hydraulic system falls to the predetermined extent and will be held open until said pressure has been raised to the predetermined maximum.

5. In a hydraulic pumping-system as claimed in claim 4, the combination with a weightdnfiuenced main lever adapted to descend and ascend in accordance with the pressure prevailing within the hydraulic system and adapted by its descent and ascent to bring about the opening and closing of the steam governor-valve and to be held raised by the pressure in the hydraulic system so long as said pressure exceeds a predetermined limit below the maximum working pressure, of an auxiliary weight-influenced lever adapted to rest upon said main lever so long as the steam governor-valve remains open, and itself'adapted, when thus resting, to prevent the raising of the main lever until the pressure in the hydraulic system attains the predetermined maximum, substantially as set forth.

6. In a hydraulic pumping system as claimed in claim 2, the combination with the main pipe of the pumping system, of a main branch-pipe leading therefrom to waste, a balanced main waste-valve interposed in said branch pipe, having a sliding spindle for controlling the position of the valve, a closed chamber having a flexible wall to which said spindle is attached, a second branch pipe leading from the hydraulic main pipe to waste, an auxiliary waste-valve interposed in said second branch pipe and having a slidingspindle for controlling the position of the valve, a spring tending to close said auxiliary waste-valve, a standpipe for accumulating a head of Water, interposed in said second branch pipe between the hydraulic main pipe and said auxiliary waste-valve, a closed chamber in free communication with the lower end of said standpipe and having a flexible wall to which the sliding spindle of the main waste-valve is attached, a spring tending to close said main waste-valve in opposition to the hydraulic pressure in said chamber, and a lever so connected with the spindle of the main and auxiliary waste-valves that the opening of the main waste-valve will bring about the opening of the auxiliary Wastevalve, substantially as described.

ROBERT CLARK. 

